What on Earth‪?‬ UPBeacon

Happy Earth Day! While we fight for the planet, it's just as important to remember to take care of ourselves. 

Resources: 

Try out some of these mindfulness exercises to reduce anxiety and stress.

Find a licensed and affordable therapist or counselor in your area. We all need someone to talk to.

Check out other Earth-centered podcasts like "How to Save a Planet" and "Green Dreamer." 

Follow @intersectionalenvironmentalist on Instagram for more on why we the climate change movement needs to be inclusive and rooted in justice.

The YouTube channel Our Changing Climate has great video essays on all kinds of environmental topics.

Food is a huge part of the holiday season and with the year we’ve had so far, hearty meals are much needed. But the food we eat also has many intersections with climate change and the ongoing pandemic. From the greenhouse gas emissions to the overall agriculture industry itself, there are a lot of nuances to be understood and changes to be made. But the good news is that when it comes to our food choices, everyone has ways to make a difference in their own lives! Listen to Molly and Jennifer’s conversation with UP environmental studies professor Dr. Heather Carpenter about all of this and more!

Resources:

Food, Inc. (trailer) - A documentary about the American food industry - what’s hidden from consumers, who’s controlling it, and how we can take it back. Available on Amazon Prime.

Other documentaries - Cowspiracy (Netflix), Kiss the Ground (Netflix)

Detroit’s urban farms - Read about 10 different local farming operations in Detroit that are bringing agriculture to the city.

Information about Urban Agriculture and Community Gardening from the USDA.

CDC report about COVID outbreak in South Dakota meat processing facility - what happened and what the implications are.

The week of the 2020 election was incredibly stressful, but it has resulted in a victory for Joe Biden over Donald Trump which will hopefully push the U.S. towards taking action to address climate change. But while we celebrate this win, there’s still a lot to unpack and a lot of work to be done for the future we want. Today, Molly and Jennifer chat with three current environmental studies students from UP about the election and what their hopes are for the future.

Resources:

Tips for writing to your elected officials - The ACLU has some tips to increase the effectiveness of your letter to your representatives.

As the 2020 U.S. election draws closer, climate change remains one of the biggest topics that are being talked about. From the candidates’ climate policies and plans to the Supreme Court to the Green New Deal ideology, there’s a lot happening that could affect the way the U.S. acts on climate change in the near future. In this episode of What on Earth? Molly and Jennifer chat with Grist reporter Zoya Teirstein for a crash course on climate policy.

Resources:

Grist.org - For all of your environmental-focused news needs.

By calling climate change “controversial” Barrett created controversy - What Barrett’s evasive response could mean for the Republican party and climate change.

How the U.S. can become a climate leader in 8 simple steps - 8 things the U.S. can start doing right now to take big action on climate change.

NRDC Expert Blog - For opinion and analysis from NRDC’s science, legal, and policy experts.

InsideClimate.org - Another source for climate change, energy, and environment news.

Don’t forget to vote!

In the U.S., we’re seven months into the coronavirus pandemic which has changed our lives and left us with questions we may have never thought to ask. Where do viruses come from? What does it mean to be asymptomatic? How does a vaccine get made? And what do we do to stop the spread of the virus? In today’s episode of What on Earth? Molly and Jennifer talk with Dr. Susan Murray from UP’s biology department about all things COVID-19.

Resources:

The New York Times Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker - Stay updated on the progress towards getting a safe and effective vaccine.

Oregon Health Authority - For Oregon residents, find information on cases, testing, resources for mental health, and more.

Wildfires have been raging up and down the West Coast of the U.S. Make no mistake, this is a product of climate change. Today, one year since the Global Climate Strike, Jennifer and Molly talk with Dr. Sharon Delcambre from UP's environmental science department about climate change, the West Coast wildfires, and how to stay hopeful and involved in the movement for climate action.

Resources:

National Weather Service for weather forecasts and alerts

AirNow will tell you the real-time air quality for your location.

Project Drawdown offers a comprehensive list of climate solutions and actions to take.

Register to Vote!